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Legendary father-son duo continues to inspire, lead and advocate

Team Hoyt page 4

Dick Hoyt with his son Rick

2 • fiftyplus advocate + April 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Visit aarp.org/livable to learn how age-friendly, livable communities

benefit people and places.

AARP Massachusetts 1-866-448-3621 | [email protected]

Connect with us: @aarpma | AARPMA

In a Livable Community, people of all ages can make their neighborhood, town or

city a lifelong home.

MASSACHUSETTS

Consumers are now two steps closer to having meaningful protections

from identity theft.The Massachusetts House of

Representa-tives recently passed An Act Remov-ing Fees for Security Freezes and Disclosures of Consumer Credit Re-

ports (H.B. 4241 and S.B. 2304), and the Senate has now referred the bill to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, awaiting rec-ommendation.

On behalf of 800,000 AARP members in Massachusetts, we praise our legislators for their support of this important bill, and urge the Senate to take final action to pass the bill and send it on to the governor for his signa-ture.

One of the key provisions of these bills will prevent a con-sumer reporting agency from charging a fee when consumers elect to place, suspend or remove a security freeze from their credit report, giving the residents of Massachusetts the power to con-trol access to their credit report without cost.

Older adults are increasingly the target for identity theft, and one of the most effective ways to protect consumers is through a security freeze, which safeguards a person’s credit report. Without access to this information, identi-ty thieves would be unable to ob-tain credit in that person’s name, minimizing potential for fraud. These bills will go a long way in reducing the threat of identity theft for consumers.

With more access to credit due to their longer careers and higher incomes, older adults are the most common targets of identity theft nationwide. In-dividuals age 50-59 filed more than 7,200 complaints of iden-tity theft in Massachusetts alone

Credit freeze bill closer to passage By Mike Festa, State DirectorAARP Massachusetts

in 2016, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Credit reporting firm Equi-fax revealed in 2017 that hackers stole financial and consumer data on at least 143 million custom-ers in the U.S., including at least 3 million residents of the com-monwealth. It’s quite possible that the personal information — including birth date, Social Security number, driver’s license number and address — of many of us in this room has fallen into the hands of criminals. And just this week, Equifax indicated an additional 2.4 million Americans were affected by the breach.

A security freeze allows an individual to voluntarily restrict access to their credit report so that new lines of credit cannot be opened. Enacting such a freeze can make it more difficult for criminals to steal an identity and open up new credit accounts or loans in someone else’s name. A credit report security freeze does not affect a person’s credit score, and can be removed at any time. Currently, firms like Equifax can charge consumers whenever they freeze or unfreeze their credit report, and consumers trying to protect their identities would have to pay each of the three credit agencies every time they freeze or unfreeze their credit.

We thank Representatives Tackey Chan (D- Quincy), Jen-nifer Benson (D-Lunenburg), and Senator L’Italien (D-Ando-ver) for their leadership and urge final passage of this bill in the Senate. We strongly encourage AARP Massachusetts advocates to call their Massachusetts State Senator at 617-722-2000 to offer support for this bill.

This system of charging consumers just to protect them-selves from criminals has to end. Consumers in Massachusetts shouldn’t have to pay to control access to their credit reports. AARP Massachusetts hopes the Senate will act swiftly to advance H.B. 4241 and S.B. 2304.

We look forward to working with all interested parties to en-sure the final legislation protects all Massachusetts consumers.

Mike Festa

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + April 2018 + fiftyplus advocate • 3

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directly with the right service agency in your city or town.

Are you an older person… and need services to live on your own?

A top priority for the Ex-ecutive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) is pro-

moting the best possible quality of life for individuals living with dementia and their care partners.

Demen-tia may be an unfamiliar term or one that is mis-understood. It describes a variety of changes in think-

ing, memory, and behaviors that are not a part of normal aging. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but any form of dementia can cause significant problems that can im-pact a person’s life.

An estimated 5.3 million people age 65 and older in the United States suffer from Al-

Making life better for people with dementia and their caregivers

Alice Bonner

By Alice Bonner, Ph.D., RN, FAANSecretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs

zheimer’s-disease or related de-mentia, including an estimated 120,000 right here in Massachu-setts. The number of Massachu-setts residents with Alzheimer’s is expected to rise to 150,000 by the year 2025, and continue to grow in the decades that follow. Be-cause of this, we must prepare for many more people in our families and our Commonwealth living with some form of dementia.

I know about this issue all too well because, in addition to lead-ing EOEA, I’m also a care partner for my mother, who is 88 years old and has Alzheimer’s. I’ve seen first hand the challenges and stress that dementia can bring -- both for the person with the condi-tion and for those of us caring for them. However, being a care part-ner for someone with Alzheimer’s also brings opportunities and re-wards. For example, when we go out for lunch in my mother’s hometown of Northampton, there are many restaurants where the staff and servers recognize us and are willing to take a little ex-

tra time for her to figure out the menu. They are kind and patient; even if my mother’s behavior isn’t always “typical,” we still can enjoy going out to lunch together.

This example of kindness and understanding is representative of work many cities, towns, and individuals are doing in Massa-chusetts to make life better for people with dementia and their care partners.

Last summer, the Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Acute Care Advisory Committee, which I was honored to co-chair with the Massachusetts Depart-ment of Public Health, delivered a set of recommendations for improved care of people with de-mentia when they are admitted to hospitals, emergency depart-ments, and other acute care set-tings.

This is critical because we know that people with dementia are at higher risk of injuries, ill-nesses, and hospitalizations be-cause of their condition. Often a trip to a busy emergency room or

inpatient hospitalization is very disorienting for people with de-mentia, and the dementia-related communications challenges can often make treatment more dif-ficult.

The Commission recom-mended better planning to pro-vide for the special needs of in-dividuals with dementia, and that hospitals include the knowledge and the needs of care partners in that planning, especially regard-ing transfers and discharge to home. The recommendations also call for better training for hospital staff on the needs of people with dementia and their care partners.

Residents living with demen-tia also benefit from numerous activities that are part of De-mentia Friendly Massachusetts. This grassroots movement’s goal is making our communities safe, inclusive and respectful of people with dementia. There are more than 20 cities and towns that are actively implementing compre-hensive dementia-friendly efforts

MassOptions page 4


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By Bonnie Adams Managing Editor

The words “heros,” “legends” and “icons” are used so of-ten now, they have almost

become trite. But those words are truly ways to describe the father-son duo of Dick Hoyt and Rick Hoyt. For over 40 years, the two have inspired millions around the world as they have watched Dick,

Legendary father-son duo continues to inspire, lead and advocate Team Hoyt

and his son, Rick, who has cere-bral palsy, compete in over 1,000 road races, marathons and triath-lons. In doing so, they have also become leaders in helping to pave the way for others with disabili-ties, emphasizing the importance of inclusion of these individuals in all facets of daily life.

The story of Team Hoyt has been told many times, yet never in their communities, includ-

ing the new program ‘Dementia Friends’.

Additionally, there are now more than 75 communities in Massachusetts with “memory ca-fés.” Memory cafés provide a wel-coming place for people with de-mentia, their family, and friends to visit, relax and connect with others who understand the chal-lenges and joys of dementia and caring for someone with the con-dition.

Want to get involved? You don’t need to have dementia or be caring for someone who does to take part in making our state

more welcoming for people with this condition.

Dementia Friends Massa-chusetts offers a one-hour infor-mation session on what dementia is and the simple things that you can do to support people living with the disease in your com-munity. To find out more about attending a Dementia Friends information session, visit www.DementiaFriendsMA.org.

If you’re caring for someone with dementia and looking for help or services, call MassOptions toll free at 1-844-422-6277 or visit massoptions.org. MassOp-tions is a free public service con-necting older residents and those with disabilities to the services they need to live independently.

Making life better for people with dementia and their caregiversMassOptionsContinued from page 3

Team Hoyt page 10

Dick and Rick Hoyt

fails to impress. When Rick was born, he suffered a lack of oxygen to his brain, leading him to be di-agnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. His parents were advised to institutionalize him – there was little hope, they were told, that their son would live a “normal” life.

But what those experts didn’t know then – and what the world knows now – the Hoyts do not give up. Rather, they accept every challenge sent their way with an amazing blend of positive think-ing, hard work and love. Indeed, their motto now of “Yes, you can” was their philosophy right from the start.

“There is no such thing as ‘no,’” Dick said emphatically.

Rick’s parents fought for years to get him integrated into public schools, finally achieving that goal when he was 13.

It was in 1977 that Rick told his father that he wanted to par-ticipate in a five-mile benefit run for a schoolmate who had

been paralyzed in an accident. Although Dick had been active in team sports as a high school player, he was, he admitted, “not a long-distance runner” at that time. But he nevertheless agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair in the race.

The two came in next to last. But instead of being discouraged, Rick was thrilled, noting to his fa-ther, that when they ran, it “feels like I’m not handicapped.”

That was enough to inspire Dick to want to do more so Rick would continue to feel that way.

Over time the two entered more road races, ultimately build-ing up to marathons.

“Everyone who runs a race dreams of doing a marathon, right?” Dick said.

As time went on, Dave McGillivray, a local race director (and who is now the Boston Marathon race director), suggested the Hoyts try a new

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www.fi ftyplusadvocate.com + April 2018 + fi ftyplus advocate • 5

Medical ResearchBrigham & Women’s Hospital ...17Harvard University ..................17PMD Alliance.........................23

Mortgage FinancingHelping Hands ......................22

Real EstateSell Mom’s House ....................9

RehabilitationSt. Mary’s Healthcare .............18HealthSouth Rehabilitation ....23

Rest HomesGoddard Homestead ................1

Senior ServicesAARP of MA .............................2

Subsidized HousingBixby/Brockton Centre............24E*Colony Retirement Homes.....15Congregational Retirement Homes, Melrose .................24E*Emanuel Village .......................7Green Hill Towers ...................11Hawthorne Hill ........................ 8Illyrian Gardens ........................8Lamplighter Village, Canton....24E*Mt. Pleasant Apartments,Somerville ..........................24E*

Veterans Services VA Boston .............................16

Walk-In Medical Centers AFC Urgent Care, North Andover, Burlington, Saugus, Malden, Waltham, Natick, Watertown, Dedham, Braintree, Marlborough, New Bedford, Worcester .............13ReadyMed..............................10

If you use any services listed above, please mention you saw their ad in

the Fifty Plus Advocate

Index of Services

DepartmentsMoney Matters ..............19

Housing Options ...........21

aprilInside this issue

fi ftyplusplusadvocate

Serving the fifty-plus community since 1975

Publisher: David BagdonManaging Editor: Bonnie Adams ext. 14Creative Director: Tina Berthiaume

Advertising Sales: Sales Coordinator : Barbara Clifford, ext. 19

Fifty Plus Advocate is published monthly, 12 times annually by Bagdon Advertising, 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581.Fifty Plus Advocate accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and does not return them to sender. Retractions for any inaccuracies will be printed when necessary. Unsolicited letters to the editor become the property of this newspaper and can be reprinted in part or in whole unless otherwise stated. Fifty Plus Advocate columnists writing under a byline are expressing their personal opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper.Contact us: 508.366.5500 • 32 South St., Westborough, MA 01581

Diane Sabatini: ext. 12Cindy Merchant: ext. 15Mary Ellen Cyganiewicz: ext. 17

www.fi ftyplusadvocate.com

Travel .............................12

Caregiving Tips ...............18

Ten ways to age

positively

page 6

Author shares joy of healthful green cleaning

page 14

Adult Day CareAdult Day Club at Dodge Park...12Norwood Adult DayHealth Center...........................4

Affordable HousingBigelow Village .........................6Sherwood Village, Natick.........24 E*Sitkowski Apartments..............21

Assisted LivingOasis at Dodge Park .............14Tatnuck Park at Worcester .......6Goddard Homestead ................1

Attorneys, Elder LawDurbin & Veglia, Attorneys ......17

Banking ServicesAvidia Bank ............................10

Cemetery/Cremation ServicesSt. John’s Cemetery& Mausoleum ........................21Cremation Society of Central MA..........................23

Community ResourceConnection AssistanceMassOptions ...........................3

FitnessYMCA of Central MA ..............13

Funeral HomesShaw-Majercik Funeral Home..16

Home Care ServicesCare Solutions...........................7Old Colony Elder Services ........18

Hospice & Primary CareHope Health Hospice ...............6

HospitalsAthol Hospital .....................24C* *E = Eastern edition *C = Central edition

6 • fi ftyplus advocate + April 2018 + www.fi ftyplusadvocate.com

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Ten ways to age positively

Geriatrician Dr. Jerry Gurwitz’s challenge is to help his older pa-

tients maximize their quality of life. Longevity is not the ulti-mate goal.

“Successful aging is not defi ned by how long you live,” explained Gurwitz, 61. “It’s maintaining a functional and healthy lifespan that’s most im-portant. A lot of people would trade living a shorter, healthier and more functional life, than living a longer life with multiple illnesses and impaired function.”

Gurwitz knew that he wanted to be a geriatrician be-fore he started medical school. Growing up in Worcester, he enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. When he was in high school, he volunteered at the former Jewish Home for the Aged on Pleasant Street.

By Jane Keller Gordon

Assistant Editor

Age positively page 7

studies potentially preventable problems that occur in the rou-tine use of medications in older adults in diff erent clinical set-tings, including nursing homes.

As a clinician, he sees many patients who are living with multiple complex medical conditions, along with func-tional impairment, diminished cognitive ability, and limited supports. Many of these geri-atric patients take numerous medications that may interact, producing diffi cult side eff ects and increasing healthcare costs.

“When I was training to be a geriatrician, one of my pro-fessors taught us that if you’ve seen one older person, you’ve seen one older person. People are so diff erent and you can’t generalize about the eff ects of aging,” Gurwitz said.

“In the past, whether you were rich or poor, if you became functionally impaired, the only

Today, he wears many hats: researcher, teacher and clinician. Among his many positions, he is chief of the Division of Ge-riatric Medicine at the Univer-sity of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School, and the execu-

tive director of the Meyers Pri-mary Care Institute, which is a joint research and educational endeavor of UMass Medical School, Fallon Health and Reli-ant Medical Group.

As a researcher, Gurwitz

Dr. Jerry Gurwitz

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Ten ways to age positively

Successful aging is not defi ned by how long you live, it’s maintaining a functional and healthy lifespan that’s most important.

Dr. Jerry Gurwitz

option was a nursing home or your family had to be totally committed to you,” Gurwitz said. “It’s better now that there are so many diff erent options available, including a variety of home care services, assisted living, and Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) like Summit Elder-Care, to name a few.”

As for successful aging, Dr. Gurwitz emphasizes 10 things to maintain good health:

1. Exercise regularly.2. Eat well.3. Get a good night’s sleep,

but don’t expect to sleep as long as when you were younger. Avoid sleeping pills and using alcohol to fall asleep.

4. Don’t smoke (including cigars).

5. Drink moderately, which means no more than two per night for a man, and one for a woman.

6. Maintain and foster rela-tionships with friends and family.

7. Do something intellectu-

Age positivelyContinued from page 6

ally stimulating – take a course, attend public lectures, and read.

8. Follow health mainte-nance recommendations like periodic screening for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, breast cancer and co-lon cancer. Make sure to get the fl u shot and immunizations against pneumonia.

9. Help others.10. Be an engaged member

of your community.

Now that Gurwitz is ap-proaching the age of many of his patients, he said, “I see them as my peers. I just need to make sure I start following all the ad-vice I give to my patients.”

Please contact me regarding the housing opportunities I’ve checked off below.SEND THIS COMPLETED FORM TO:

ATTN: FREE FIFTY PLUS HOUSING INFORMATION

32 SOUTH STREET, WESTBOROUGH, MA 01581

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A lifelong commitment to the military

Southborough – Chris Rob-bins, 74, believes that military training creates a lifelong back-bone of leadership and charac-ter.

“We were trained in ways to optimize performance. I know that these skills carry over to business and government,” he said. “I can always tell when someone is military.”

Robbins served in the U.S. Army for 21 years: three years on active duty, and 18 in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of major.

Serving in the military runs in Robbins’ family.

“My family’s service dates back before the Revolutionary War. My relatives served in the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), the Battle of the Wilderness (1864), WWI, WWII, and the Korean Confl ict,” he said.

By Jane Keller Gordon

Assistant Editor cut short in 1969. At the age of 25, Robbins was drafted at the height of the Vietnam War.

Robbins trained to be an in-fantry soldier and signal offi cer. His basic training was at Fort Dix in New Jersey, followed by advanced training at Fort Leon-ard Wood in Missouri, and of-fi cer’s training at Fort Benning, Ga.

While on active duty during the Cold War, Robbins served in the Army Security Agency, intercepting enemy informa-tion. He was the lead manager for a program called Spartan Pathfi nder.

“We took recalcitrant sol-diers through the rigors of leadership and an Outward Bound-like experience. After 30 days, they had the possibil-ity of changing their impending discharge from dishonorable to honorable,” he said.

Towards the end of Rob-

Robbins grew up in Rye, N.Y., where he met his wife of 46 years, Terry, a retired English teacher. Th ey have two children and three grandchildren. He and his wife have lived in Southbor-

ough since 1979.A graduate of Defi ance Col-

lege in Ohio, Robbins received his master’s degree from Suff olk University. He embarked on a career as a teacher, which was

Chris Robbins PHOTO/JANE KELLER GORDON

Robbins page 9


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A lifelong commitment to the military

bins’s active duty, he had orders to Vietnam. Th ey were cancelled at the last minute; the war was winding down.

Unfortunately, that was not true for his close friend from Rye, who died in the U.S. of wounds sustained in Vietnam.

“I carry my friend close to

my heart in everything I do that’s related to veterans. I think of him often,” Robbins said.

During his time in the re-serve, he worked in sales, mar-keting, training and consulting.

For his last few years in the Army Reserve, Robbins was the public aff airs offi cer for a unit stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base.

Robbins is a former presi-dent and current board member of Th e Armed Forces Commit-tee of Worcester County, a non-profi t that exists to honor and support area veterans.

“We are here to support area veterans,” he noted.

In addition to his veterans’ activities, Robbins is a member of the Economic Development

Committee in Southborough, and serves on the board of the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce. He is working on a fi ctional novel about terrorism in Boston.

Robbins is also on the board of Alliance Health and Human Services, a nonprofi t that runs nursing homes and foster care programs.

RobbinsContinued from page 8


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Team HoytContinued from page 4

Team Hoyt page 11

Legendary father-son duo continues to inspire, lead and advocate Team Hoyt challenge – triathlons. Rick was excited about doing one of those, too, Dick recalled.

“He is always so positive and willing to try anything,” Dick said.

But there was one problem – Dick didn’t know how to swim. He also had not been on a bike since he was 6 years old.

“I lived in a house on a lake so I had someone drop me off in the middle of that,” he recalled. “That’s how I learned to swim. Because you have to get back somehow!”

The two have competed in 257 triathlons (including six Ironman distances and seven half Iron-man distances). While triathlons can be varied for the respective portion distances, the Ironman is particularly strenuous, requiring

Dick pushing Rick 26.2 miles in a special racing wheelchair, towing him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while he swam, and pedaling 112 miles with Rick sitting in a special seat.

“We loved doing triathlons – we just love the challenge,” Dick said.

One of the many highlights of their storied career was meet-ing President Ronald Reagan. The former president had con-tacted Dick after watching an

Ironman competition and, like so many others, was inspired by the strength and courage of the father-son duo. A photo of the Hoyts with the president is now on display at the Reagan Museum in California.

Through example, the Hoyts continued to advocate for those with disabilities. In 1987, they founded the nonprofit Hoyt Foundation, Inc., which “aspires to build the individual character,

self-confidence and self-esteem of America’s disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life, including in family and community activities, especially sports, at home, in schools, and in the workplace. The Foundation also provides advice and support to groups and individuals who share this mission.”

For years, the Hoyts were fa-miliar and beloved figures at the Boston Marathon but planned on 2013 being their last one. But the tragic bombings that day changed that. Although they themselves were not physically injured, their hearts were heavy. So they felt compelled to run again in 2014 as a way to honor those who had been killed or injured.

Rick has continued competing in Boston, running with family

Dick Hoyt

I have always loved sports. I just like to be moving and doing something. Even after I finish marathons I would come home and do yard work.


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Team HoytContinued from page 10

Legendary father-son duo continues to inspire, lead and advocate

friend Bryan Lyons. Last year was tough for Rick,

as he was quite ill battling pneu-monia. Thankfully he has made a complete recovery.

“He is in the best shape of his life now, he looks sharp and is very motivated,” Dick said. “He just never gets discouraged or lets problems get to him. He is always positive.”

As proud as Dick is of his son, he is equally proud of the eight Team Hoyt organizations around the country and Canada, which are set up to continue the mission of Dick and Rick - to enable those who cannot run the opportunity to run with the wind while be-ing pushed in a running chair – to cross the finish line as Dick and Rick continue to do. Each group is made up of a board of directors that volunteers their time to assist these athletes.

At age 77, Dick is slowing now…a bit. He noted he is re-

covering nicely from back surgery that he had in December. He now works out in a gym most days but has been given the go-ahead to start running once the winter weather passes. He plans to run a 5K with Rick in April two days prior to the Boston marathon.

“I have always loved sports,” he said. “I just like to be moving and doing something. Even after I finish marathons I would come home and do yard work.”

He also continues to travel the country for corporate speaking engagements each year, as well as at local schools and other venues.

To Dick, age really is just a number. That “Yes, you can” atti-tude applies to everyone, no mat-ter their age, he insists.

“You are never too old to do anything,” he added. “You just have to have a positive attitude and try things.”

For more information on the mission of Team Hoyt, and how you can donate, visit www.team-hoyt.com.

Dick Hoyt pushes son Rick in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC in 1987

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the Colorado River followed by a zip line ride over the canyon through which the rapids race.

Eating rather than excite-ment is the goal of folks in North Carolina, while visitors to a tiny community in Minnesota have an immersion in Finnish culture.

If these travel experiences sound interesting, where they’re located adds to their appeal. They’re among countless towns and communities throughout the United States whose names are delightful and droll, sometimes comical and always curious.

Consider the Colorado des-tination. When Interstate 70 was being laid out there, a future exit was located near an unnamed village. Highway planners iden-tified the off-ramp as “No Name” and the term stuck.

Despite this affront, No Name is not a no-show when it comes to attractions. Nearby parks offer hiking, biking, rock climbing and other outdoor pur-suits as well as lovely waterfalls and breathtaking views.

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Unusual town names from Allgood to Zig Zag

travel and entertainment

Travel page 13

stream Barbeque and that name was adopted for the community which grew nearby. Visitors to-day may enjoy North Carolina-style barbeque in its chopped, sliced or pulled manifestations.

A small community in Min-nesota holds the title of coldest place in the continental United States. When French animal trappers in the area had trouble navigating a river they called it “Embarras.”

Later immigrants from Fin-land arrived in Embarrass (an “S” had been added) to work at mines and logging camps. They built houses, barns and saunas using traditional methods and

materials which provide tourists with an introduction to a slice of Finnish culture.

A very different lifestyle greets visitors to a community in Pennsylvania whose name has a double meaning. One explana-tion is that it was located at the intersection of two major roads. Another is that when the com-munity was a British colony, so-cial interaction among people – called “intercourse” at that time -- was an important part of the culture.

The lifestyle of the Amish who live in Intercourse today has changed little over time. Mani-cured farms have no electric

wires, horses pull plows and bug-gies take the place of cars.

Other communities with enticing names have their own stories. A small town in New Mexico originally was called Hot Springs because of min-eral-rich thermal waters which spas claimed could cure “any-thing that ails you.” In 1949, the producers of the “Truth or Consequences” radio program sought a town willing to take on the show’s name as a publicity stunt. The people of Hot Springs agreed and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Countrysidesetting in Accident, Maryland

By Victor BlockTravel Writer


(formerly AFC Doctors Express)

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Finnish architecture In Embarass, Minnesota

No one is sure how Acci-dent, Maryland, got its name. One story is that it came about, well, by accident. After British Lord Baltimore opened west-ern Maryland for settlement in 1774, two men set out to survey the area. However they began to

TravelContinued from page 12

chart the same tract of land “by accident,” and decided to call it that.

The name of Boring, Or-egon, doesn’t describe what the community has to offer. Visi-tors find an antiques mall, pick-your-own-produce farms, and microbrewery tours and tastings, among other attractions. They

learn that a pioneer named Wil-liam Boring settled in the area in 1856. Later town fathers, dis-playing a sense of humor, adopt-ed the motto, “The most exciting place to live.”

Another idea to cash in on a town name came to an enterpris-ing man in Georgia who sold pe-cans to people driving from the northeast to Florida. He incor-porated his farm, named it Santa Claus and became its mayor. Later the land was developed as a housing community with street names like Candy Cane Road and Rudolph Way.

A very different story awaits visitors to a town in Michigan that was settled in 1838 by a man who operated a grist mill. When he was short of cash to purchase grain and he paid farmers with home distilled whiskey, some of them went on a several-day bender. Asked where their hus-bands were, wives often replied, “He’s gone to Hell again.”

According to local folklore, when townspeople were seeking an official name for the commu-nity the mill owner remarked, “Call it Hell. Everyone else does.” Hence a new industry was born, based on tourism. To-day people are invited to “Bring your family for a little bit of Hell on Earth” to mail postcards from the Hell Post Office, and to drop by the Hell ice cream store.

If none of these humorously named hangouts prompts you to consider a visit, there’s an alpha-bet-long list of other alternatives, from Allgood, Alabama, to Zig Zag, Oregon. Not to mention Looneyville, Texas, and Little Heaven, Delaware; Money, Mis-sissippi, along with Marmaduke, Arkansas, and Ding Dong, Tex-as, as well as Disappointment, Kentucky. The choices cover the country, tempt the imagination, and offer a different way to ex-plore and experience the United States.

Unusual town names from Allgood to Zig Zag


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Author shares joy of healthful green cleaningBy Ed Karvoski Jr.Culture Editor

Northbridge – Leslie Reich-ard of Northbridge often got sick in the 1990s when she owned a home cleaning ser-vice and used certain products. While her doctor diagnosed the frequent illnesses as possi-bly an immune deficiency, she stumbled upon a different so-lution. Green cleaning became her natural remedy. Now as the author of “The Joy of Green Cleaning,” she spends much of her time pub-licly sharing a healthier way of doing daily chores. “When you spray a cleaner, and feel it in your throat and eyes, that’s your body telling you there’s something wrong – you shouldn’t be using it,” she said. “Whenever I got sick, I wouldn’t just get a cold; I’d get pneumonia or bronchitis. One time, I got poison ivy in the

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Leslie Reichard, author of “The Joy of Green Cleaning”

middle of winter.” Also at that time, Reich-ard inherited her great-grandmother’s Bible. Tucked inside of it she found an old-fashioned laundry soap recipe consisting of four ingredients: baking soda, washing soda, oxygen bleach or borax, and Ivory soap grated flakes. “It was unbelievable how well it worked,” Reichard de-clared. “It works differently than our laundry detergent today. It pulls the dirt out and leaves no residue. My clothes were getting clean without a funky smell or feeling stiff.” Reichard compiled more recipes with common house-hold ingredients and wrote “The Joy of Green Cleaning.” Her book explains how to clean without toxic chemicals. She recommends for homes to have four basic items stocked to use as ingredients.


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Author shares joy of healthful green cleaning

“You can make a ton of dif-ferent cleaners with vinegar, baking soda, salt and lemon juice,” she said. “The cleaning industry doesn’t tell you what’s in their products. They call it an ‘active ingredient.’ The gov-ernment says its proprietary information.” When Reichard encoun-ters skeptics reluctant to invest time and energy into green cleaning, she challenges them to make a simple cleanser to replace commercial products such as Comet. “Comet has seven carcin-ogens and 146 airborne al-lergens in it,” she noted. “We can make the same thing and it will work better, with only three ingredients: baking soda, table salt, and either oxygen bleach or borax. Mix a cup of each together. You can add seven to nine drops of essen-

tial oil for fragrance to trick your brain. If it doesn’t smell like a cleaner, you’re not going to use it.” She shared green cleaning tips twice in 2015 with view-ers of “The Dr. Oz Show.” First, she was among a panel of guests discussing various ways to use olive oil. Reichard

cleans refrigerators with it. Several months later, she was invited back to “The Dr. Oz Show” along with inven-tor and entrepreneur Lori Greiner of ABC-TV’s “Shark Tank.” Greiner was asked to determine if Reichard’s green all-purpose cleaner is a “fix or fail.”

Green cleaningContinued from page 14

Reichard created her “hap-py hour cleaner” with vodka, white vinegar, lemon juice, es-sential lemongrass oil and cas-tile soap. She demonstrated her cleaner on a dirty counter-top. A member of the show’s medical team tested how ef-fectively it disinfected the scrubbed area. The test results scored impressively well and Greiner deemed Reichard’s green cleaner “a fix.” “It’s satisfying to be able to clean your home in a healthy way,” Reichard said. “It’s so ironic that some of the clean-ers that we use have such nasty things in them. The joy comes from keeping your home, fam-ily and pets in a natural way.” “The Joy of Green Clean-ing” is available at online re-tailers in paperback and eB-ook. For more information, visit greencleaningcoach.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/GreenCleaningCoach.

Leslie Reichard on “The Dr. Oz Show”


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By Valerie FranchicontriButing Writer

Most of us don’t think about what happens to surplus crops that

are unharvested, but a Massa-chusetts nonprofit organization has made it its mission to en-sure they are not wasted. Boston Area Gleaners, founded in 2004, coordinates with local farms to harvest and distribute crops that would otherwise go unused.

According to the organiza-tion’s website, “gleaning” is the act of collecting surplus crops from farmers’ fields. In ancient times, landowners invited peas-ants onto their fields after the main harvest to take what was left over. Gleaning was a method of improving food security for the poor.

“A large amount of food is wasted,” explained Education

Nonprofit uses ancient custom of ‘gleaning’ to provide fresh produce for the hungry

and Outreach Coordinator Jack Leng. “An average of 20 percent goes to waste on farms alone.”

He noted that farmers have excess produce for various rea-sons, such as bumper crops, im-pending weather events, lack of staff or time to harvest, or im-perfections that make produce

unmarketable.“What is not harvested is

eventually broken down and turned into soil so it’s really not wasted,” Leng said, “but farm-ers want to see their crops eaten. They’ve put time and energy into growing it, so our relationship with farmers is mutually beneficial.” Gleaners page 17

Volunteers show off some of the produce they harvested from a local farm.

Boston Area Gleaners was founded by Oakes Plimpton, who was retired from Waltham Fields Community Farm.

“He worked out of a mini-van,” Leng noted, adding that the organization grew exponen-tially through word of mouth and outreach. It was incorpo-rated in 2007.

By the end of 2017, Bos-ton Area Gleaners volunteers will have harvested more than 600,000 pounds of crops from over 50 farms in eastern Mas-sachusetts. Leng noted that it is the only organization that har-vests food directly from farms in Massachusetts for distribution to hunger relief organizations, such as Boston-area food banks, pantries, meal programs and low-income markets.

“We work with 25 smaller relief agencies and three big

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Nonprofi t uses ancient custom to provide for the hungry

GleanersContinued from page 16

(Left) Volunteers glean surplus carrots from a local farm.Photo

(Below) A volunteer carries a box of produce packed for distribution.

distributors who work with hun-dreds of other smaller organiza-tions,” Leng said.

Since it began, Boston Area Gleaners has gleaned over 1.8 million pounds of fresh local produce for the benefi t of people in need. By 2019, they hope to collect one million pounds of crops every year.

Leng said by next year they hope to be able to track the food from the farm all the way to the individuals who receive it so they

know exactly where the crops are going.

Like most nonprofi t groups, Boston Area Gleaners depends on volunteers.

“We are only as strong as our volunteer force,” Leng admitted. “It’s not easy work; it’s intense labor. But we have a diehard fol-lowing.”

Volunteers can “get outside, embrace a traditional work ethic, and meet people who believe in a common cause,” according to Leng.

Th e group has hundreds of

volunteers, but there’s always need for more – to harvest, trans-port, pack and deliver the crops.

In addition to individual volunteers, Boston Area Glean-ers enlists groups from corpora-tions, educational institutions

and faith-based congregations. Th e organization’s ultimate

goal, according to Leng, is to “leave no crop behind.”

To become involved or to donate, visit bostonareagleaners.org or call 781-894-3212.

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caregiving tips

Deep breathing exercises just might save your sanity. Th e next time you

feel angry, stressed or anxious, pay attention to your breath-

ing. Chanc-es are, when nega-tive emo-tions run high, your breaths be-come short and shal-low. In fact, I would bet that many

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By Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM

you could be missing out on one of the simplest ways to drasti-cally improve your health.

Stress management is an im-portant key for improving your health and quality of living, and I believe deep breathing exercis-es are a foundational principle of managing life’s stresses. Wheth-er you experience negative emo-tions or physical pain, the body responds in a similar way every time. You may experience a rapid heartbeat, tightening muscles, dilated pupils and perspira-tion in addition to short, quick breaths. Th is is not only an in-stinctual reaction, but a habit the body has developed over time in response to stressful situations. And any time you feel a twinge of anger or anxiety coming on, the body starts pumping out the juices (namely adrenaline and cortisol) that fuel this response

once again.In Eastern cultures, great

signifi cance is placed on prop-er breathing techniques, and for good reason. Proper deep breathing lowers your heart rate; lowers blood pressure and cardiac output; increases blood oxygen levels; promotes clearer thinking; relieves stress; increas-es metabolism; improves circu-lation; and supports detoxifi ca-tion. Proper breathing can even help prevent heart attacks.

In Western cultures, how-ever, little emphasis is placed on breathing methods, which can lead to, or exacerbate, many health problems. Fortunately, changing your breathing habits is something you can do quite easily once you understand how.

Here is a simple Far Eastern breathing exercise you can do to “train” your body to breathe in a more effi cient manner. It will help your body better use oxy-gen, increase your energy levels, improve clarity, and promote an overall feeling of calmness.

1. Start by counting how many times you breathe each minute. In a relaxed sitting pos-ture, most people breathe any-where from 15 to 25 times a minute. (After practicing these exercises, your breathing rate may drop to as low as fi ve times a minute, with a greatly increased level of oxygen use.)

2. Lie down on either a bed or the fl oor. Place a fairly heavy book (a large phone book works well) on your abdomen just be-low your navel.

3. Breathe through your nose, inhaling in such a manner that you raise the book. When you exhale, the book should lower.

4. Continue practicing this until this breathing pattern be-

comes natural.Although this is exactly the

way we breathe during sleep - by infl ating and defl ating our lower abdomen - for some reason our breathing becomes more labored and ineffi cient during our wak-ing hours. We seem to shift ev-erything up to our chest area and breathe more shallowly.

Here are some more general rules for more effi cient breath-ing:

• Breathe through the nose as much as possible. Th e nose pre-warms, moistens, and fi lters the air before it reaches the lungs.

• Stand erect with your hands to the side. Begin to in-hale slowly and concentrate on allowing the air to fi ll the lower portion of your lungs fi rst. To do this you must relax your abdom-inal, or stomach, muscles.

• While still inhaling, let the air fi ll the middle portion of the lungs as you let the rib cage relax and expand.

• Continue inhaling as the upper part of the lungs fi ll. As this happens, gently raise your collarbone and pull your shoul-ders up and back.

• Now exhale reversing the above sequence - that is, let the air release from the upper lungs by relaxing the collarbone and shoulders, then the middle por-tion of the lungs, and so forth.

• Make sure your breaths are even, and visualize each sec-tion of the lungs completely fi ll-ing with air. As you fi ll the up-per portion of the lungs, picture your chest expanding and your shoulders becoming more erect and higher.

Learn how to breathe prop-erly, and I guarantee you’ll expe-rience signifi cant health benefi ts for years to come.

Improve overall health with proper breathing

Caregiving Tips

Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM CADDCT, is the co-owner of The Oasis at Dodge Park, Dodge Park Rest Home and The Adult Day Club at Dodge Park located at 101 and 102 Randolph Road in Worcester. He holds a master’s degree in healthcare management and is a graduate of the National Council of Certifi ed Dementia Practitioners program, and well-known speaker covering Alzheimer’s and dementia training topics. He can be reached at 508-853-8180 or [email protected]. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fi ftyplusadvocate.com.


SU P E R C R O SSWO R D P UZZL E “OH GEE”(answers on page 20)

money matters

“The winner is...” – YOU!I enjoyed watching the

Academy Awards last month to see the surprised and happy faces of the fi lm artists in the lesser k n o w n c a t e g o -ries like best pro-d u c t i o n d e s i g n , c o s t u m e design, or

sound mixing – all the people behind the scenes who work

By Alain Valles, CRMP, MBA, CSAManaging DirectorHelping Hands Community Partners, Inc.

so hard but are often not ac-knowledged.

As the Managing Director of the nonprofi t housing organiza-tion Helping Hands Communi-ty Partners, Inc., my observation is that our senior homeown-ers are the “behind the scenes” backbone of America - often overlooked, forgotten, and taken for granted. Or worse, taken ad-vantage of and not given the re-sources necessary to make sound housing decisions.

You don’t you feel like you’re winning?

FACT: Of the $26 trillion dollars of real estate owned in the U.S., older Americans (55+) control over two-thirds of the housing wealth. You may have owned a home for de-cades and built up equity, but might not feel like a winner. Why? My research and expe-rience of helping thousands of

homeowners helped me to de-velop the following list:

• Living costs have in-creased, so you need a little bit more monthly cash flow every year

• You are still making a mortgage or home equity line payment

• Credit card balances have increased with higher in-terest rates

• You need to make home repairs or desire home improvements

• Real estate taxes are in-creasing

• A stressful life event occurs: retirement, divorce, caring for children and grand-children, health crisis, loss of a spouse

• You are house wealthy but “cash poor” and cannot afford to enjoy traveling, being with family, or helping loved ones

You’re a winnerfinancially

• You don’t have a fi nan-cial plan to remain independent

How to WINIf you are an older home-

owner, now is the time to gather information and facts to analyze your future hous-ing options. You may be able to stay the course. Or you may need to refinance, obtain an equity line, sell your home, or obtain a reverse mortgage. The hard part is making a de-cision. But doing nothing will surely lead to regret. And the sadness and disappointment over “what could have been” is brutal, especially if it could have been avoided. The first step is to contact our organi-zation to learn about different housing options.

In particular, if you’re 62 or older and own a home with

You’re a winner page 20

Reverse Mortgage


Boston – Radio deejay Barry Scott is committed to keeping more of the notable 1970s and ‘80s recording artists’ songs heard during an era of tight playlists. He coined the phrase “Th e Lost 45s” in 1981 while a freshman host-ing his show at Emerson Col-lege in Boston, where he studied radio, communications and cre-ative writing. “Th e Lost 45s” is currently syndicated on 52 radio stations nationwide and available 24/7 online. His vast record collection began while growing up in Newington, Conn. “I bought tons of 45s,” he re-called. “I never wanted to do any-thing other than be a radio deejay.” Scott’s passion was encour-aged by his middle school music teacher Katherine Brinnier, to whom he dedicated his book “We Had Joy, We Had Fun: Th e Lost Recording Artists of the Seven-ties.” She subscribed to the music industry’s Billboard magazine and posted its weekly top-100 songs in her classroom. “It was invaluable what I learned about the industry before I started working,” he said. His radio education continued while in high school as an intern

at Hartford’s WPOP. In addition to writing advertisements and news copy, he learned the per-sonal impact of a station abruptly changing its longtime format. “I cried the day when WCOP switched from top-40 music to all-news,” he acknowledged. After moving to Boston in 1981 to attend Emerson, Scott proposed an idea for a radio show on the college’s station WERS. He needed to describe

Barry Scott fi nds his groove with ‘The Lost 45s’By Ed Karvoski Jr.Culture Editor

why it would be unique. “Once disco ended in 1979, no stations played ‘70s music,” he explained. “My show was called ‘Gold Rush’ with songs from the‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. When I played a Partridge Family song, saying that it was a ‘lost 45,’ the phone lines lit up. ‘Th e Lost 45s’ became the show’s highlight.” Scott graduated from Emer-son in 1985. On his 21st birthday, March 4, 1986, “Th e Lost 45s” launched with ‘70s and early-‘80s music on Boston’s commercial radio station WZLX. It subse-quently aired on fi ve other Boston stations, most recently WROR up to 2014. While the show contin-ues online and in 52 markets na-tionwide, Scott is hopeful that it will return to a Boston radio sta-tion. “Th e show deserves to be back in its hometown,” he said. “I get emails and Facebook notes ev-ery day asking why I’m not on in Boston. My goal is to better serve people over 50 by giving them the other 90 percent of the music they grew up with – songs that aren’t getting played on any Boston sta-tions.” “Th e Lost 45s” has also featured over 900 recording artists’ inter-views. Soon after the show’s 1986 commercial debut, Scott’s fi rst

interview was with Terry Jacks. An 11-year-old Scott bought the Jacks album with his hit single “Seasons in the Sun.” “‘Seasons in the Sun’ was the biggest-selling 45 of the ‘70s with 11 million copies,” Scott noted. “But no other deejay would play it after the ‘70s.” Scott produced a tribute to his show’s most frequent guest, Da-vid Cassidy, soon after he passed away Nov. 21, 2017. Th roughout the years, Scott brought Cassidy to Boston to perform concerts at dance clubs including Avalon and Zanzibar. “David was on the show more times than any other artist,” Scott noted. “He was always available for a call into the show. He always treated me and fans very well.” Scott plans to continue shar-ing “Th e Lost 45s” with more new interviews into the future. “I’m still as excited about doing the show now as I was in college,” he said. “It’s still just as fun as it was then.” For more information about Barry Scott, visit lost45.com and facebook.com/lost45s.

Answers to Super Crossword(puzzle on page 19)

some equity, a reverse mort-gage may be a viable option to achieve your homeownership goals. The challenge is reverse mortgages have a negative stigma for most people. The great news is we have more licensed loan officers with the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) desig-nation than any other non-profit in the country. We are here to help take the mystery and misinformation out of re-verse mortgages.

You’re a winnerYou’re a winnerContinued from page 19

Obtain your free “How to Use Your Home to Stay at Home” 36-page book

Please give me a call at 781-724-6221 or email at [email protected] to receive your free copy of the official reverse mortgage consumer booklet approved by the U.S. Depart-ment of Housing & Urban Development called “Use Your Home to Stay at Home” pub-lished by the National Coun-cil on Aging . This is a great place to start to receive basic information.

Alain Valles is Managing Director of Helping Hands Community Partners, Inc. and was the fi rst designated Certifi ed Reverse Mortgage Professional in New England. He obtained a Master of Science from the M.I.T. Center for Real Estate, an MBA from the Wharton School, and graduated summa cum laude from UMass Amherst. Alain can be reached directly at 781-724-6221 or by email at [email protected]

PHO

TO/S

UB

MITTED

Barry ScottBarry Scott (second from left) with (l to r) Paul, Susan and Bill of The Cowsills last summer at Hampton Beach

Barry Scott with David Cassidy during his 1997 book-signing

appearance for “Could It Be Forever?

My Story” at downtown Boston’s

Barnes & Noble


T he loss of a loved one, young, old, expected, or unexpected is traumatic. Making the final

arrangements with your funeral home and choosing the cemetery and the final resting place adds more trauma to

a very sensitive time. At that time we are asked to make decisions very quickly. All this being said, we can be of

assistance in the pre-planning portion and extend to all families an opportunity to benefit from our experience along

with easy payment plans and burial options.

The benefits of pre-planning are significant:

Grant that our brother may sleep here in peace until you awaken him to glory... - Prayers of Final Committal

St. J ohn’s Cemetery & Mausoleum

Pre-planning guarantees your wishes are met.

Our office will be happy to assist you in your family’s pre-planning process

To request an application please call508.943.3406 TDD 800.439.2370Must Meet Income Requirements

Rents Starting at $650 • Section 8 Accepted

Sitkowski School Apartments is a 66 unit, 55+ affordable rental community that offers a safe convenient location in the historic Sitkowski School in the commercial

center of Webster. The new Webster Senior Center is located in the former gymnasium which will provide an active, vibrant place for seniors to enjoy.

Heat & Hot Water Included in the RentHardwood Floors

Ceiling FansLaundry Room on Each Floor

Lounge AreasSmoke Free Community

My grandmother was a crafter and a col-lector. She hand-

braided rugs, created beautiful decoupage, quilted, and prob-ably had her hand in many,

many other crafts. She also collect-ed antiques. Her house was full of i n t e r e s t -ing knick-knacks – a s p i n n i n g wheel, ma-h o g a n y b e d r o o m set, book-

cases full of hair receivers, hat pins, and various and sundry other prizes.

When she died, my grand-mother left a house full of treasures for her family to go through. I consider myself lucky. I inherited the hair re-ceiver collection and many half-fi nished quilts. I had al-ready been given many pieces of decoupage over the years, too. After the dust settled, however, I thought back on what I received and how I re-late to these things today. Here is what I learned.

Th e half-made quilts were a treasure at fi rst. I fi nished two of them and gave them to my brothers as a memento. I know one brother’s dog ate one quilt and I haven’t seen the

By Marianne Delorey, Ph.D.

Marianne Delorey, Ph.D., is the executive director of Colony Retirement Homes. She can be reached at 508-755-0444 or [email protected] and www.colonyretirementhomes.com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fi ftyplusadvocate.com.

When a blessing becomes a burden other quilt in years. I assume it is gone. Th ere is one other half-made quilt that I intend to fi nish for myself. But right now, and for the last almost 20 years, it has remained a project, and a psychological burden. Th is doesn’t mean that I won’t eventually fi nish it and love the quilt, but even if I do, it has off ered me more discomfort in the 20 years since she died than it can possibly off er joy in my remaining years.

Th e hair receivers were my pride and joy. I loved them, I displayed them, and then I had kids. Th ey sit in storage now, boxed up and unappreciated. Maybe I will get them out one day. But they will require dust-ing. I love going to antique stores and seeing them. I love that they are somewhat un-usual and not everyone knows what they are. I love having the connection with my grand-mother of someone who can appreciate an old item. But in reality, I would have been just as happy with one as I am with the whole collection.

Th e decoupage still reminds me of her, but I have none of it hanging in my house. I’m not quite sure why, maybe it just doesn’t go with the other *ahem* art on the wall. When I take it out and look at it, I do marvel at how creative she was. I wish I had learned more from her. But the decoupage itself is not as appreciated as I would think.

Now, when the house was being cleaned out, my cousin, Paul, asked for one, old, broken item. Th e rest of us did not think of it because it had no actual value. But all of us, upon hearing that he received it, felt a pang. THAT was the piece that mattered. It was an old cookie jar. Since it had been broken and re-glued, he never has to worry about accidentally breaking it. And that was what we remembered the most – go-ing to Grammy’s house meant we could get a treat. Some-times just being with Grammy was a treat. And that cookie jar was the ultimate symbol of Grammy’s aff ection.

A few years ago, I found the same style cookie jar on eBay. I bought it and gave it to my brother. I have a sweet

picture of his youngest son eat-ing cookies right out of that jar. And that picture means more now than all the other stuff I inherited.

My advice to people who are looking to downsize or give away prized items to fam-ily members is to think twice about saving special heirlooms for after you pass. Th ey can be a burden to the family, who hold on to items that aren’t needed or wanted out of sentimen-tal and guilt value. Give them a cookie jar – something that can be broken or thrown away if needed. Give them some-thing that holds all the memo-ries you need. Tell them a story and give them a picture of the item. If you must, give them the item, but also give them permission to throw it away.

Housing Options


The official reverse mortgage

consumer bookletapproved

by the U.S. Department

of Housing

& Urban

Development

Massachusetts Mortgage Broker License MB1553939 NMLS #1553939

We arrange but do not make loans.

www.helpinghandscommunitypartners.org40 Accord Park Drive – Suite 203 – Norwell, MA 02061

A 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization

But everyone should know the facts about a Reverse Mortgage and how it works.

Helping Hands Community Partners, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with a mission

of educating senior homeowners about housing options. We can explain and, when

appropriate, arrange reverse mortgages.

Call or email to receive a FREE copy of the National Council on Aging’s 36-page “Use Your

Home to Stay at Home,” consumer booklet.

Call to get your FREE copy of

“Use Your Home to Stay at Home”

(781) 724-6221

Or email to: [email protected]

A Reverse Mortgage is not

for everyone.

Visit the past. It’s safer.

For this column, I delve into the past. I need a va-cation from the present,

which I find a bit scary, given current events and politics and all. The past seems a safe place

to visit, at least for a while.

The most restful part about visiting the past is that we know how things turned out. We don’t have to won-der, or worry

about, what happens next. For example, I know that

I was born. This was not a cer-tainty at the time.

Some decades ago this month, a young couple await-ed the birth of their first baby. Also waiting were people who could call themselves grand-parents, aunts, or uncles only if I arrived safely, as I would be the first of the next genera-tion.

I almost didn’t arrive. My mother suffered in labor for three days. Apparently, I could not decide if I wanted to leave my warm, safe environment for the uncertainties of the cold, noisy world outside. I almost chose not to, and I almost took her with me. I don’t remember why I finally decided to venture forth.

I cannot imagine the worry of those who waited for me to decide. They could not foresee that they would even-tually welcome a healthy baby girl who would be their hearts’ delight, until my little sister came along, then those aunts and uncles would welcome hearts’ delight babies of their own.

Another restful reason to visit the past is this: Unlike the present, where all our personal flaws and foibles are constant companions, when we visit the past, we can leave out the incon-venient bits.

For instance, when we were very little, my sister felt

inspired to bite me. I can still see her tooth marks on my in-nocent, chubby arm, two per-fect horseshoes of indents. Of course, I did nothing to inspire her anger. I do not re-member doing anything, ever, to treat her unkindly. I do not understand why here favorite consolation when something bad happened to me, after she learned to talk, was “That’s God paying you back.” Paying me back for what?

A third pleasant and en-tertaining reason to visit the past is that, unlike in the pres-ent where everything hap-pens in sequence and we have to wait for what’s next, when we visit the past we can jump around.

Hop from yesterday’s com-puter misadventure; to the af-ternoon our old cat got his head stuck in an empty can of baked beans (he survived); to the morning my two-year-old son locked me out of the house; to the day I was driving home from school on the main road and the muffler dropped out of my rattletrap, dragged along the road by a rusty pipe, creat-ing embarrassing sparks and ca-cophony.

When we visit the past we find that it’s not all as delight-ful as the time when I was 11 and we lived on a cove and had a hurricane and the drugstore lost its electricity and it couldn’t be turned back on because the wires were wet and their soda fountain ice cream was melting so they had to give it all away for free and they had a huge sup-ply of our favorite, butterscotch crisp.

When we visit the past, we sometimes see things that we wish hadn’t happened. We sometimes see things we can’t understand, even in the light of the present. But we can’t change anything in our past, we can only try to learn from it. For ex-ample, you might learn that, if you’re nice to your little sister, maybe she won’t bite you.

Contact [email protected]

Inklings

By Janice Lindsay


A Simple Cremation …

Cremation Society OF CENTRAL MA

Simple, Affordable & Trustworthy

More people than ever before are choosing cremation. It is a meaningful and respectful, yet simple tribute.

Whatever your reasons for selecting cremation, the Cremation Service of Central MA will make sure that it is dignified in every respect. Visit our website to see how you can make all arrangements in the comfort of your own home.

Sign up online when a loved one dies. It’s affordable … and simple.

14 Walker Street, Suite ALeominster MA 01453 844-380-7313cremationscma@gmail.comwww.cremationserviceofcentralma.com


Cremation Society OF CENTRAL MA


More people than ever before are choosing cremation. It is a meaningful and respectful, yet simple tribute.

Whatever your reasons for selecting cremation, the Cremation Service of Central MA will make sure that it is dignified in every respect. Visit our website to see how you can make all arrangements in the comfort of your own home.

Sign up online when a loved one dies. It’s affordable … and simple.

14 Walker Street, Suite ALeominster MA 01453 844-380-7313cremationscma@gmail.comwww.cremationserviceofcentralma.com



For people impacted by

PARKINSON’S

LEARN. LIVE. CONNECT. PARKINSON’S CONFERENCEFriday April 27, 2018

8:30-9:00 Breakfast • 9:00-12 noon Conference • Free

Join us to learn more about Parkinson’s disease symptoms and treatments.Embassy Suites Logan Airport • 207 Porter Street, Boston, MA

Agenda Highlights:Understanding Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension

Safely Navigating HospitalizationLearning about Parkinson’s and OFF Time

Register at:www.pmdalliance.org or 800-256-0966.

The Parkinson and Movement Disorder Alliance is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by Parkinson’s by providing opportunities to learn, live more fully, and connect to community.

Laxman Bahroo, DOis an assistant professor and director of the Neurology Residency Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. As a board certified neurologist and member of the Movement Disorders program, Dr. Bahroo’s primary areas of focus include the medical and surgical management of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.

Shopping for Rehabilitation Is Like Comparing Apples to OrangesWhen comparing inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) to skilled nursing facilities over two years, research* concludes that long-term outcomes for IRF patients are superior:• Return home two weeks earlier• 8% lower mortality rate• 5% fewer emergency room visits• Significantly fewer hospital

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Shop to compare and you will see that an inpatient rehabilitation hospital is more comprehensive than a skilled nursing facility. Make a return to independence and choose a higher level of care with HealthSouth Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital.

your rehabilitation outcome at 781 348-2138.

250 Pond Street • Braintree, MA 02184781 348-2138 • Fax 781 356-2748 • healthsouthbraintree.com

©2018:Encompass Health Corporation:1291302-02


After surgery, a stroke or extended illness, additional skilled nursing and rehabilitation can offer the post-acute care, support and recovery time that makes the difference for your continued quality of life, activity and independence when you return home. At the Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation at Athol Hospital, we offer patients a full array of nursing and rehabilitative care, along with immediate access to vital hospital services not available at long-term care, rehab facilities and nursing homes.

Quality skilled nursing and rehab care with the confidence of a hospital setting is just moments from home, at the Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation at Athol Hospital.

For more information visit www.atholhospital.org or call 978-249-1181

ONSITE SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Recovery from stroke, orthopedic surgery or extended illness

• 24/7 Access to Hospital Services including emergency services, skilled nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapy

• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy

• Laboratory services, radiology services, including X-rays, CT-scans and MRIs

• On-site consultations with specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, oncology and surgery

• Wound care services

• Coming in 2018: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Quality rehabilitation, comprehensive hospital care The Center for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation at Athol Hospital

HWD085_SkilledNurseAd_CommAdv.indd 1 1/4/18 2:28 PM

free | published monthly central edition | april 2018 ... · ing eoea, im also a c’ are partner...

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